Face the Strange
by pandorabox82
Summary: When Penelope finds herself floundering in the new team dynamics, Hotch is there to rescue her. But are there ulterior motives behind the most innocent of requests from her Boss Man? And will she be able to accept the proposal put before her by him and his girlfriend? Inspired by HxChick on Facebook.
1. Chapter 1

She shouldn't have been surprised to feel left out when she got back from her trip to London. After all, the team had had three weeks to get used to Alex Blake without her. Reid was so excited to have a former mentor on the team with him, and JJ followed along like a puppy dog, wanting to be included. Rossi was too busy trying to keep his relationship with Strauss under wraps, even though it was the worst kept secret in their department. And Morgan was mooning over Emily all over again. She had no one left.

Sighing, she got up from her computers and stretched. It was late, but that was the way she preferred it. There would be no one there to question the tear tracks on her face. Picking up her purse, she stepped out of her office and into the hard body of someone. Looking up, she stared into the caring brown eyes of one Aaron Hotchner. "Penelope, is everything all right?"

"I'm going to be fine, Boss Man. You don't need to worry about me."

He closed a hand around her shoulder. "You are a vital member of my team; of course I need to worry about you. Now, what is going on?"

She took a deep breath and shrugged. "I feel sort of adrift, like I can't find my mooring. It doesn't make sense, but I'm rethinking everything in my life."

Hotch pursed his lips and gently guided her into his office. "I have noticed that you aren't your usual perky self, ever since your return from London. Did Morgan do something to you over there that I should know about?"

Penelope shook her head. "No. He was a perfect gentleman who was very obviously infatuated with Emily. I've become the third wheel, Sir, and it's just going to take time to get used to. No one has a place for me anymore, and with this job, it's not like I have time to make new friends out in the real world. Much though I love them, my internet friends are spread throughout the country and I can only talk to them so much. I miss my family."

To her horror, she began to cry once more and he enclosed her in a tight hug before leading her over to his couch. They sat and she tried to pull away, not wanting to further push past the boundaries he had set up that set him slightly apart from the team at all times. "You can never step into the same river twice, Garcia."

"Okay, Heraclitus, way to get all philosophical on me," she said as a small smile crossed her face.

"I got you to smile, didn't I?" She nodded. "And that's a start. Beth just called and said that she had supper waiting for me when I got home. With the way she cooks, I know there'll be plenty for three."

She rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "I'm not a stray kitten that you have to take care of, Hotch. I'll be fine."

"And you'll be more fine if you spend time in the company of friends. Beth likes you, and she's always lamenting the fact that she doesn't get to spend more time with you and the others. Please?"

Somehow, she knew that he would pester her until she said yes, so she reluctantly nodded. "You know, sometimes you suck, Aaron Hotchner."

"Haley said that to me once, when we had just started dating. She seemed to think I was really good at manipulating people to do what I want."

"Well, she was right." They stood and he led her out to the elevators. "I'll see you at your apartment."

"I'm planning on it, Garcia." And then he smiled at her and she felt all her unease melt away. They stepped into the elevator and rode down to the parking garage. She reached her car first and took off into the night, driving slowly as she tried to organize her thoughts.

"It's only supper, with both of them. It's not like he's trying to make a move on me," she murmured as she parked in the lot of his apartment complex. His garage door was just coming down and she smiled as she approached him on the sidewalk.

"Hey, you didn't chicken out. Jack is going to be happy to see his aunt Penny. When I called to let Beth know you were coming over, she told me that Jack was still up, seeing as how it's a Friday night."

She smiled, reaching out for his hand. "I could never disappoint my junior G-man. Let's head inside." He clasped her hand and led her up to his apartment, knocking softly at the door.

Jack yanked it open and launched himself into her arms. "Aunt Penny! Beth told me you were going to come over! I missed you while you were in England. Beth made stew and it smells so delicious, come in!" He tugged her inside and into the kitchen, where Beth stood, dishing out the meal.

"Hey, you made it! Aaron wasn't sure if you would or not." The smile on Beth's face warmed Penelope's heart and she nodded as the woman stepped forward to hug her tightly. "I've been meaning to call, but things have been so hectic with this new installation, and I wanted to give you some time to get back on Washington time. How was your trip?"

"I had a blast. Clyde showed me a lot of the sights in the city, when we had free time. Morgan spent a lot of time with Emily, which I should have expected, seeing as how they acted at Jayje's wedding. Clyde is nothing like what Emily tried to warn me about."

"People are often very different from what we hear about them. Take a seat, we're ready to eat." She did and was surprised when Beth sat next to her, smiling shyly. "I've always wanted to go to England. There are so many wonderful museums there. I mean, France and Italy have wonderful museums, but England is my dream vacation."

"The weather wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had assumed it would rain all the time, and it didn't, so that was nice. Clyde took me to Bath one weekend. I loved it so much."

Jack and Aaron took their seats across from them and began to eat as they included themselves in the conversation. After Jack had finished, Aaron kissed his son and sent him off to bed before pulling out a bottle of wine and three glasses. "I hope that you don't mind white wine, Penelope."

"No, that will be fine," she replied, taking the glass from his hand. After he'd poured out the other glasses, Beth stood as well, motioning her into the living room. "So, what's the new installation?" Penelope asked as she settled back on the sofa.

"Roger Mapplethorpe. I know that I should be impartial, but I cannot stand his style of art."

"Isn't he the guy who did black and whites of nude men?"

"Yeah, and that's not what bothers me. Personally, I think his voice was stale. There was nothing revolutionary or introspective about his work, in my opinion. And I know that doesn't reflect well on me, but I can't help how I feel."

"I feel the same way about Jackson Pollock." Beth gasped a little, touching her chest in horror, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah, he's my second least-favorite artist. What can I say; I'm a romantic at heart. I love John Singer Sargent, Waterhouse, Da Vinci, and so many others. I wish I could live in the past sometime, and see what inspired them to leave such beauty to us."

Penelope nodded and sipped at her wine, feeling more relaxed around the woman as they talked. She could tell that Hotch was bemused by them, since she could see him shaking his head from out the corner of her eye. "What, Hotch?"

"I'm just facing the strange, Garcia."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." She stuck her tongue out at him and was rewarded with one of his full smiles.

"I know." A small laugh escaped his lips and Penelope knew she'd had enough. Tugging the pillow out from behind her back, she threw it at him, hitting him square in the chest. Beth tried to swallow her own laugh as she downed the rest of her wine, setting the glass aside so that she could join in the fun.

Somehow, in the midst of their pillow fight (induced by the wine, she was sure), Beth pinned her to the floor and she stared up at the other woman. A familiar look of desire darkened her eyes and Penelope tilted her head slightly to the right. Beth took this as an opening and dipped her head down, kissing her quickly. "I'm sorry," she murmured, blushing deeply as she got up off her, going over to Hotch's side.

"Not a problem, Beth." She stood as well, going back over to the couch and curling up in the corner, watching them. Beth took a seat on his lap, a shy smile on her face. "So, what do you think of Georgia O'Keefe?"

"Oh, I love her paintings of the Southwest. I cannot wait to take a trip out there and see it. It will be different, of course, but still, I'll be able to feel a little bit of what she did." Penelope nodded enthusiastically, even as she tried to swallow a yawn. "You know, if you're tired, you could crash on the couch tonight. We have extra blankets."

"I wouldn't want to impose…"

"It wouldn't be an imposition, I promise. Please?"

Penelope thought about it for a moment before nodding. "All right."

"Great! I'll go grab you a blanket while Aaron keeps you company!" The woman jumped up and hurried over to what Penelope assumed was their bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Boss Man, what is going on here?"

He just shrugged and gave her a knowing half-smile. "Beth wants to be friends." All she could do was stare at him, knowing there was something he was keeping a secret from her. And she was not one to like secrets. Somehow, she would get to the bottom of this.

**Author's Note: We're getting to the homestretch of the nomination period for the CCOAC yearly awards. Check out the Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum for the ballot and nominate your favorite stories and authors. As a reminder, the mods of the forum are not eligible for nomination nor are fics that are labeled abandoned. This is a great way to show your love for your authors!**


	2. Chapter 2

When Penelope woke up the next morning, it took her a moment to orient herself. Sitting up, she stretched and opened her eyes, only to find herself looking into Beth's large blue eyes. "Good morning, Penelope," she said with a wide smile.

"G-good morning." She blinked rapidly, trying to get centered as she stared at Beth. "Do you need something?"

"No, just wanted to see if you had slept okay. Jack wants to go out and play soccer for a while before lunch, so Aaron left us alone. Is there something you'd like for breakfast? Oh, and Aaron brought in your go bag, so you can take a shower and get changed while I whip something up for us."

Penelope nodded slowly. "I guess I'd like some chocolate chip waffles."

"All right. The bathroom is the door facing you at the end of the hall. See you in just a bit." The woman reached out and caressed her hand, smiling widely at her.

She got up and picked her bag off the floor, practically fleeing to the bathroom. There was something definitely going on, and she wasn't sure she liked where things were heading. It almost seemed like Beth was coming on to her and Hotch was okay with it. Shaking her head as she locked the bathroom door, Penelope quickly stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the water fall down on her. Looking around, she found some of Beth's shampoo and conditioner, using it to wash her hair.

_But, she is really pretty_, Penelope thought as she washed the conditioner out of her hair. Turning the water off, she pulled a towel off the bar and dried off before stepping out. She dressed quickly and went out to the kitchen, dropping her bag by the couch as she passed it. "I hope you don't mind, but I used your shampoo."

"That's okay. Um, so, you've probably wondered what is going on."

Beth's face was bright red and she looked anywhere but at Penelope as she set a plate down in front of her. "Maybe just a little, Beth. It seems like you both had an ulterior motive to asking me over last night."

Beth took a seat across from her, staring into her coffee mug. "I did. I've been bugging him about bringing you over. I really do want to be friends with you, but something more as well. And I know you have a crush on Aaron, I've seen it in your eyes. You mask it well, but when you have a crush on someone as well, you know what signs to look for." A quick smile flickered over her face and Penelope felt the corners of her lips turn up as well.

"Well, it's sort of easy to crush on Hotch." Beth looked up at her and nodded. "But you have a crush on me?"

"It's so stupid, I know. But you're so free and bold. Aaron talks about how awesome you are, and he always sounds half in awe of what you can do." The blush returned to Beth's cheeks and Penelope took a bite of food to distract herself from the feelings that were swirling in the pit of her stomach.

"It's not stupid, Beth, it's flattering. But I'm not going to come between you and Hotch. I wouldn't ruin his happiness."

A disappointed look flashed over Beth's face. "I don't think you understand. We've discussed this at length, and…" Her voice trailed off as her bottom lip began to quiver. "You know what, never mind. I should have known that this was stupid and silly when I suggested it to Aaron. Forget I even brought it up." She brought her cup up to her mouth and took a sip, as if to distance herself from the conversation she had tried to begin.

The waffle, which had started out so delicious, seemed to turn to ash in her mouth as Penelope realized she had inadvertently hurt Beth. She half-heartedly ate the last few bites of her food before getting up and putting the plate in the sink. "Beth?"

The woman turned slightly, looking at her. Her blue eyes were luminous with unshed tears and Penelope welled up in sympathy, opening her arms. Beth stood and fell into the embrace, crying as Penelope rubbed her back. "I just assumed you'd be into girls, too, since that's what I had hoped for. I'm sorry."

"Shh, don't be sorry. I'm not offended, I promise." She turned her head and kissed Beth's cheek lightly. "Let's go out to the living room, okay?" Beth nodded and let Penelope lead her over to the couch, where they curled up together, Beth's head coming to rest on her shoulder. "I've been with girls before, when I was underground. I've just never been one to seek out group sex. Even if I can't commit myself to one person, it doesn't mean that I'm not a romantic at heart. I mean, I erase the video evidence of Rossi and Strauss making out in her office."

Beth laughed at that, nodding against her chest. "That is adorable. Aaron said they're worse than teenagers, always sneaking off to neck whenever he's home."

"It's true. I half expect her to end up pregnant one of these days, the way those two go at it." Penelope rubbed Beth's arm softly, thinking about what the woman had proposed. "Hotch is okay with you wanting to make out with me?"

"He's okay with a lot more than that."

"Oh." This was a fine kettle of fish she was finding herself in, and she tightened her arm around Beth. "Maybe we could all have supper together again tonight? Have Jessica take Jack until tomorrow?"

"I don't want you to do something that you're uncomfortable with, Penelope. And I don't want to guilt you into this. That would hurt you, which is the last thing I want to happen in this world. You have such a sweet heart." Beth nuzzled her face into Penelope's neck, her lips touching the pulse point just under her chin.

"But why me?" she murmured as Beth pressed her lips more deliberately against her neck, her hand coming up to cup one of her breasts, squeezing gently as she ran a thumb over her rapidly hardening nipple.

"You're beautiful," she heard Aaron say and gasped, sitting up straight to look at him. "Don't worry, Jack is still outside, I just came in to grab us some water. But that looks to be a little more fun right now."

She giggled nervously as Beth resumed her pleasant pursuit. "And you are totally okay with this?"

"Yes." She nodded and then gasped a little when Beth's fingers closed around the erect peak of her breast, pinching lightly. "I am more than okay with this."

"Good to know. Oh, god, Beth, you're going to have to stop. Please." Reluctantly, the woman lowered her hand and settled back in the couch. "You'll want to make that call to Jessica soon. She might have plans for tonight."

Hotch nodded and went back outside, leaving them alone. "I hope you don't feel like we're pressuring you, here," Beth said lowly.

"No, no pressure." Beth nodded and Penelope sighed. "This is going to be so weird, in a good way. Kiss me."

The other woman's eyes widened. "O-okay." Leaning forward, she pressed her lips softly against Penelope's. It was Penelope who deepened the kiss, running her tongue along the seam of Beth's lips, getting the woman to open her mouth to her. Their tongues met, and Penelope loved the taste of the other woman. "You taste so good," she said once they had broken the kiss.

"So do you, Beth." They smiled at each other and Penelope giggled. "This is totally unexpected."

"We don't want it to be weird or once," Beth replied in a rush.

A small part of Penelope's heart leapt up at that admission. "And what do we tell Jack?"

"If this works out, and we hope it does, we plan on telling Jack that sometimes families come in all shapes and sizes. He's used to having Jessica here a lot, since I haven't officially moved in with Aaron."

"There is that."

"Besides, I'm trying to convince him to move into my place. I have a house, with two extra bedrooms, which would be great for sleepovers." Penelope nodded and reached out for Beth's hand, needing something to anchor herself to her new, and strange, reality.

"Are we going to have individual sleepovers?"

"We were hoping to work all that out tonight. Set the boundaries of a relationship like this. Monogamous, and yet, between the three of us." Beth's smile was so genuine and sweet that all Penelope could do was nod and smile back.

"How did you manage to talk Hotch into this? He's usually so staid."

"Not in bed," Beth managed to squeak out, blushing a deep red. "That was something that surprised me, too, the first time we were intimate. I had expected the focus, since he had that when we trained. But, well, you'll see for yourself tonight."

"I guess I will." Penelope snuggled into Beth, letting the other woman pet her hair. "I'm glad that you trust me enough to ask this of me. I just hope it doesn't blow up in our faces."

"I'm going to fight to make sure that doesn't happen. And if you want to back out at any time, we'll understand. This is going to be an experiment, after all."

"We're going to end up kind of like that television show, _Big Love_, aren't we?" Beth shrugged. "Well, I did say that my life was getting a little dull at the moment." They both laughed and Beth rested her head against hers, a contented sigh escaping her.


End file.
